spellcaster generic class, CLC, WIZ
SPELLCASTER
(Flavor text about how magic allows characters to do amazing things blah, blah, blah. Need more inspiration for this part.) Some spellcasters, who call themselves mages, receive their powers from the strength of their own will. Others, who call themselves mystics, gain their powers from their communion with a force or being beyond themselves. When you take this class, you must decide whether you want to be a magician or a mystic. If you choose magician, you use Charisma as your casting attribute; mystics use Wisdom instead. This replaces the divine/arcane distinction described in the PHB.
HD: d6
BAB: poor
Saves: Will good, Reflex and Fortitude low.
Class Skills: Craft (any one skill), Knowledge (arcana), Spellcraft, Use Magic Device, plus any 4 skills.
Skill Points per level: 4 + Intelligence modifier (x4 at 1st level).
Talents. At 1st, 4th, 7th, 9th, and 10th levels, you gain a talent from the talent trees below, provided you meet the prerequisites.
Bonus feat. At 2nd, 5th, and 8th levels, you gain a bonus feat from the following: any metamagic feat, any item creation feat, Augment Summoning, Combat Casting, Eschew Materials, Magical Aptitude, Spell Focus, Greater Spell Focus, Spell Penetration, Greater Spell Penetration.
Spellcasting. Spells known and spells per day as UA generic spellcaster.
Spontaneous Spellcasting. Both mystics and magicians cast spells spontaneously, requiring no material or verbal components, though they do help in some cases. When spellcasters use material components to cast spells, they gain a competence bonus equal to half their spellcaster levels for the purpose of determining effects of level-dependent variables in spells they cast. This bonus is also added to the save DC of spells they cast when using material and verbal components. This ability only applies to spells you can cast spontaneously.
Spells known. Spellcasters have more a more limited number of spells known than their PHB counterparts. However, they gain other abilities in compensation for that.
The Gift. The gifts a spellcaster has represent his or her magical "personality." All casters have such an inclination, chosen from the list below. Like any label, it is merely a convenience that helps others (including the spellcasters themselves) understand the mysterious powers they wield. This list is certainly not exhaustive, but they describe the types of abilities most spellcasters tend to wield. Your gift determines the spells you can learn and cast, modified by GM discretion. You should work with your GM to create a spell list specific to your character, although lists for some of the inclinations are provided. As a talent you may choose another gift. Each gift and its associated concepts are given below.
Gift of Air. Wind, electricity, movement.
Gift Black Magic. Death, destruction, despair. Cannot be taken with White magical inclination.
Gift of Earth. Earth, stone, metal, gravity, inert matter.
Gift of the Fey. Trickery, enchantment, shapeshifting.
Gift of Fire. Fire, heat, light, darkness.
Gift of Green Magic. Animals plants, living things. Cannot be taken with Black or War magical inclinations.
Gift of Sight. Insight, divination, prophecy.
Gift of War. Battle, combat-prowess, physical power. Cannot be taken with Green magical inclination.
Gift of Water. Water, ice, mist, liquids.
Gift of White Magic. Healing, preservation, hope. Cannot be taken with Black magical inclination.
Celestial Talent Tree
This talent tree represents abilities thought to be granted by higher powers. Casters who have talents from the Celestial talent tree are frequently believed to be divine emissaries or descendants of celestials.
Prerequisites: Must good and cannot have the gift of black magic.
Sense Alignment. You do not use spell slots to cast detect evil or detect good. Instead, you may cast either of these spells a total number of times per day equal to your casting attribute bonus.
Sense Alignment II. You may cast detect evil or detect good at will. Prerequisites: Sense Alignment.
Holy Aura. As PHB paladin Aura of Good ability. This does not stack with any other aura talents.
Celestial valor. You do not have to use spell slots to cast remove fear. Instead, you may cast remove fear a number of times per day equal to your casting attribute bonus.
Divine Grace. As PHB paladin ability. Prerequisite: gift of white magic.
Smite evil. As PHB paladin ability. You may use this ability once per day. Prerequisites: gift of war.
Greater Smite. As PHB paladin ability. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to your casting attribute bonus. Prerequisites: Smite evil.
Supreme Smite. As PHB paladin ability. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to half your caster level. Prerequisites: Greater Smite.
Elemental Talent Tree
The elemental talent tree has perhaps the most diverse origins of the casters. Dragons, elementals, djinn, gensai, and even an intense identification with a particular element account for the origins of these casters.
Elemental Shape. As the wild shape (medium) talent below, except you turn into an elemental of your favored element. Prerequisites: gift of air, gift of earth, gift of fire, or gift of water.
Improved Elemental Shape. As the wild shape (elemental), except you may turn into a Small or Large elemental. Prerequisites: Elemental Shape.
Advanced Elemental Shape. As Improved Elemental Shape, but you may be a Tiny or Huge elemental. Prerequisites: Improved Elemental Shape.
Resistance (acid, cold, electricity, fire, poison). You gain resistance against this type of damage equal to your casting attribute bonus.
Greater Resistance (acid, cold, electricity, fire, poison). Your resistance to the damage type chosen for the Resistance talent increases to half your caster level (max DR 10/energy type). Prerequisites: Resistance.
Immunity (acid, cold, electricity, fire, poison). You are immune to this type of damage. Prerequisites: Greater Resistance and gift of air (electricity immunity), gift of earth, gift of fire (fire immunity), or gift of water (cold or acid immunity).
(Acid/Cold/Electricity/Fire/Poison) Blast. As a spell-like effect similar to fireball and lightning bolt, you may hurl a line of energy or poison (length is ten times your caster level) that does 1d6 damage per caster level. You may use this ability once per day for every 5 caster levels. Prerequisites: Greater Resistance (type of energy you choose to blast) and either gift of air (electricity blast), gift of earth (poison blast), gift of fire (fire blast), or gift of water (cold blast). You must also be able to cast 3rd-level spells.
Improved Blast. You may use Blast a number of times per day equal to your casting attribute modifier. Prerequisites: Blast, able to cast 4th-level spells.
Aura of Power. Similar to the paladin's Aura of Good ability, but instead of registering how good your character is, it describes about how powerful he is. The aura's exact effects depends upon the powers you have. An earth mage would have a decidedly different aura from a caster affiliated with fire. In addition, you gain a +1 insight bonus to Intimidate checks for every 3 caster levels you have. This does not stack with any other aura talents. Prerequisites: gift of air, gift of earth, gift of fire, or gift of water.
Fey Talent Tree
Casters with talents from the Fey talent tree are frequently believed to have been contacted by the fey in some way, or even to be descended from them. In many cases, individuals who possess talents from this talent tree are thought to be changelings.
Trickster. You gain a competence bonus to Bluff and Intimidate checks equal to your caster level. Prerequisite: Persuasive or 2+ ranks in Bluff and Intimidate.
Resist Nature's Lure. As PHB druid ability.
Fey Blood. You gain a +2 bonus to saves against Enchantment, Illusion, and Transmutation spells.
Enhanced Fey Blood. You gain DR/cold iron equal to your Constitution modifier.
Greater Fey Blood. Your DR/cold iron increases to half your caster level (max DR/10). Prerequisites: Enhanced Fey Blood.
Aura of Power. People recognize power when they see it, and they respond accordingly. You gain an +1 insight bonus to Intimidate checks equal to half your caster level. You do, however, find it hard to get people to trust and believe you (penalty to Bluff and Diplomacy checks equal to the bonus to Intimidate). This does not stack with any other aura talents. Prerequisites: gift of the fey.
Fiendish Talent Tree
Sense Alignment. As same talent in Celestial talent tree.
Sense Alignment II. As same talent in Celestial talent tree.
Unholy Aura. Prerequisites: must be evil. As PHB paladin's aura of good ability, except it registers as an aura of evil. In addition, you may add your spellcaster levels to Intimidate checks. This not stack with any other aura talents.
Unholy Resistance. You gain DR/holy equal to your casting attribute bonus.
Greater Unholy Resistance. Your DR/holy increases to half your caster level (max DR 10/holy).
Smite Good. As Smite Evil described above, but applies to good instead of evil. Prerequisites: must be evil, gift of black magic.
Greater Smite. As Smite Evil described above, but applies to good instead of evil. Prerequisites: Smite Good.
Supreme Smite. As Supreme Smite described above, but applies to good instead of evil. Prerequisites: Greater Smite.
Magical Companion Talent Tree
Animal companion. As PHB Druid ability. Prerequisites: one gift.
Familiar. As PHB sorcerer ability, but applies to the creature you chose as your animal companion. The same creature that is your animal companion can also be your familiar. Prerequisites: Animal companion.
Special companion. Your animal companion becomes a special companion with bonuses and abilities like the PHB paladin's special mount ability. Prerequisite: Animal companion.
Wild empathy. As PHB druid ability. Prerequisites: gift of green magic or 5+ ranks in Handle Animal and Knowledge (nature).
Seer Talent Tree
The abilities of the seer stem from their gift of clarity and insight. While nowhere near as potent as some of their spells, seers often first discover they have the gift of sight through the development of these talents.
Awareness. Add Alertness and Skill Focus (Sense Motive) to your list of bonus feats. Prerequisites: gift of sight.
Premonition. For a number of times per day equal to your casting attribute bonus, you may add half your caster level as an insight bonus to any save you attempt. You must use this ability before the roll is made. Prerequisites: gift of sight.
Improved Premonition. For a number of times per day equal to your casting attribute bonus, you may add half your caster level as an insight bonus to any save or skill check you make. You must decide whether or not to use this ability prior to making the rolls. Prerequisites: Premonition.
Advanced Premonition. For a number of times per day equal to your casting attribute bonus, you may add half your caster level as an insight bonus to any save attempt, skill check, or attack roll you make. You must use this ability before the roll is made. Prerequisites: Improved Premonition.
Seer's Aura. Because you are so gifted at seeing into the hearts and minds of others, people respond to you as if you already know them, and they find it difficult to lie to you. You gain a +1 insight bonus to Diplomacy, Gather Information, and Sense Motive checks for every 3 caster levels. This does not stack with any other aura talents. Prerequisites: gift of sight.
Shapeshifting Talent Tree
Changing one's own shape or the forms of others is a staple of stories about spellcasters. The variety of functions a single spellcaster can serve simply by changing her form is a source of wonder and perhaps some envy on the part of ordinary people as well as those spellcasters whose abilities do not lie in physical mutability.
Improved Shapeshifting. You gain a bonus to your effective caster level equal to your casting attribute bonus to any spell you cast which alters the form of the target.Prerequisite: the ability to cast spells altering a creature's shape.
Wild shape (Medium). As PHB druid ability. You can wild shape once per day for every 4 caster levels. Prerequisites: gift of green magic or the ability to cast spells changing your own shape or the shape of other creatures.
Wild shape (Small or Large). As PHB druid ability. Prerequisities: Wild shape (Medium).
Wild shape (Tiny or Huge). As PHB druid ability. Prerequisites: Wild shape (Small or Large).
Wild shape (Plant). As PHB druid ability. Prerequisites: Wild shape (Small or Large).
Wild shape (Elemental). As PHB druid ability. Prerequisites: Wild shape (Small or Large).
Sorcerous Enhancement Talent Tree
Stories abound of how mystics and magicians enjoy health and youth much longer than mundane members of the same race. Indeed, the promise of immortality and the lure of eternal youth are the goals that mystics and magicians often seek. Yet, for many, such boons are the result of being descended from creatures whose lifespans are several (or many) times longer than the average humanoid.
Purity of Body. As PHB monk ability.
Divine Health. As PHB paladin ability. Prerequisites: Purity of Body.
Unaging. Your character does not suffer the physical debilitation due to natural aging. Prerequisites: Purity of Body.
Slowed Decay. You take the physical age effects of the age category one step behind you. Prerequisites: Middle Age.
Eternal Youth. Your character regains the physical attributes she had at adulthood. Prerequisites: Unaging, Old Age.
Timeless Body. As PHB monk class ability. Prerequisites: Unaging.
Deathless. You can only die if you are killed by accident or design. Prerequisites: Timeless body, Divine Health.
Spell Mastery Talent Tree
Favored Spell. Choose one spell that you know that is half the level of your highest level spell known (minimum 0, maximum 4). You gain a number of bonus slots per day which you can use to cast this spell equal to your casting attribute bonus.
Improved Favored Spell. When you use a metamagic feat with the spell you chose for favored spell, you cast it at a spell slot one level lower than described in the PHB. Prerequisites: Favored Spell enhanced with the metamagic feat you want to use.
Advanced Favored Spell. You may spontaneously apply metamagic feats to your favored spell. The spell slot cost is the same as described in the PHB, but the metamagic feat you applied to Improved Favored Spell retains the reduced slot cost. Prerequisites: Improved Favored Spell.
Expanded Spell Focus. You may use the Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus feats with cleric domains as well as arcane schools. The bonuses for Spell Focus in domains and schools do not stack.
Magic Focus. You use an object (perhaps a gem, an item of clothing, or drugs), situation (nudity, lunar cycles, planetary alignments, or time of day), or state of mind (joy, pain, anger) to help facilitate using your powers. When you include this focus in your spellcasting, you gain a competence bonus to your effective caster level equal to your casting attribute bonus.
CLERIC BASE CLASS
Flavor text as PHB. What follows are only a few sample talent trees available to the cleric base class.
Prerequisites: must be a mystic, Knowledge (religion) 5+ ranks, Expanded Spell Focus, and either Holy Aura, Unholy Aura, or Aura of Power.
HD: d4
BAB: poor
Saves: Will good, Fortitude and Reflex poor
Class Skills: Concentrate, Diplomacy, Heal, Knowledge (all skills taken individually), Profession, Speak Language, Use Magic Device
Skill Points per level: 4 + Intelligence modifier
Talent. At 1st, 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, and 19th level in the cleric class, you may choose their talents from the talent trees below. The list is far from exhaustive. Work with your GM to come up with talent trees that will work for your cleric.
Bonus feat. At 2nd, 5th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 20th level in the cleric class, you gain a bonus feat from the following: any metamagic feat, any item creation feat, Augment Summoning, Combat Casting, Eschew Materials, Improved Turning, Magical Aptitude, Spell Focus, Greater Spell Focus, Spell Penetration, Greater Spell Penetration.
Avatar Talent Tree
Avatars are individuals who spend their lives emulating a deity or upholding a particular ideal. In the eyes of the common folk, they are the mouthpieces of the deities they represent, or sometimes their incarnations.
Prerequisites: An avatar must choose a deity or ideal which she attempts to emulate.
Divine Resilience. You may add your Charisma bonus to Fortitude and Will saves.
Fascinate. As PHB bard ability, Wisdom bonus/day. Prerequisites: Perform (Oratory) 3+ ranks.
Divine Speech. You gain Perform (Oratory) as a class skill. When you make a Perform (Oratory) check, you gain an insight bonus equal to half your cleric class levels. Prerequisites: Fascinate.
Suggestion. As PHB bard ability, Wisdom bonus/day. Prerequisites: Perform (Oratory) 9+ ranks, Fascinate
Mass suggestion. As PHB bard ability, Wisdom bonus/day. Prerequisites: Perform (Oratory) 21+ ranks, Suggestion.
Exorcist Talent Tree
Exorcists are mystics whose interests and talents lie in the prevension or removal of certain creature types, most often evil outsiders, but they have been known to deal with other types of creatures.
Spells known. In addition to the spells granted to you based on your mystical inclination, you also can learn the following spells: (0th)--detect chaos/evil/good/law. (1st)--alarm, hold portal, protection from chaos/evil/good/law. (2nd)--arcane lock. (3rd)--magic circle against chaos/evil/good/law. (4th)--dimensional anchor. (5th)--dismissal. (6th)--repulsion. (7th)--banishment. (8th)--dimensional lock. (9th)--imprisonment, soul bind.
Favored Adversary. As PHB ranger's favored enemy ability. Choose a creature type from the following: aberration, elemental, fey, ghosts, outsider (subtype), or undead. You may choose this talent more than once, but each time you do, it applies to a different creature type. If a specific creature falls into more than one category, your bonuses do not stack. You simply use whichever one is higher. You gain a cumulative +2 competence bonus to Bluff, Gather Information, Knowledge, Sense Motive, and Survival checks when using these skills against the creature type. Prerequisites: Knowledge (religion) 5+ ranks and Knowledge (the planes) 5+ ranks or Knowledge (nature) 5+ ranks.
Turning. You may turn creatures of the type you chose for your favored adversary as the PHB cleric turns undead. You may not take this talent in conjunction with the rebuke talent.Prerequisites: Favored Adversary.
Rebuke. You rebuke creatures of the type you chose for your favored adversary as the PHB cleric rebukes undead. You may not take this talent in conjunction with the turning talent. Prerequisites: Favored Adversary.
WIZARD BASE CLASS
Flavor text as PHB wizard. What follows are only a few sample talent trees available to the wizard base class.
Prerequisites: must be a magician with at 4+ ranks in Knowledge (arcana), 2+ ranks in Spellcraft, the Scribe Scroll feat, and at least one gift from the spellcaster generic class.
HD: d4
BAB: poor
Saves: Will good, Fortitude and Reflex low.
Class Skills: Concentrate, Craft (all skills taken individually), Decipher Script, Knowledge (all skills taken individually), Profession, Speak Language, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device
Skill Points per level: 4 + Intelligence modifier
Talent. At 1st, 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, and 19th level in the wizard class, you may choose their talents from the talent trees below. The list is far from exhaustive. Work with your GM to come up with talent trees that will work for your wizard.
Bonus feat. At 2nd, 5th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 20th level, you may choose a bonus feat from: any metamagic feat, any item creation feat, Augment Summoning, Combat Casting, Eschew Materials, Magical Aptitude, Spell Focus, Greater Spell Focus, Spell Mastery, Spell Penetration, Greater Spell Penetration.
Spellcasting. Wizard spellcasting is based on Intelligence. Wizards must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + spell level to cast spells of that level. In addition, wizards must have a number of ranks in Spellcraft equal to twice the spell level of the spells they wish to cast in order to learn them (minimum 1 rank for 0th-level spells). All other rules about spellbooks, spells per day, et al are in the PHB.
Artificer Talent Tree
Imbue item. You may temporarily bestow a mundane object with a spell you can cast. The potency of the spell depends upon your caster level: 1st-4th level wizards may imbue an item with a 1st-level spell; 5th-8th level wizards a 2nd-level spell; 9th-12th level wizards a 3rd-level spell, 13th-16th level wizards a 4th-level spell; and 17th-20th level wizards can imbue items with a 5th-level spell. Prerequisites: Craft (type of object imbued) 7+ ranks
Improved Item Creation. Your ability to craft magic items depends more upon your skill at craftsmanship than your abilities as a spellcaster. Any spell you know can be put into a magic item of the appropriate type, provided the general function of the spell and the function of the mundane version of the item are similar. You must purchase item creation feats with bonus feats or character feats as normal, but the spellcaster requirement is waived. Prerequisites: Craft 10+ ranks (type of item you are using this ability on).
Effortless Crafting. Making magical items taxes your internal resources less than it would other wizards. The XP costs for crafting magic items is reduced by 10%. Prerequisites: Improved Item Creation, Craft 12+ ranks (item you are crafting).
Improved Effortless Crafting. As in Effortless Crafting, but reduce the XP cost by 25%. This replaces the benefit of Effortless Crafting. Prerequisites: Effortless Craft, Craft 15+ ranks (item you are crafting).
The Craft Talent Tree
Wizards prefer to call their method of spellcasting the Craft because of its emphasis on discipline, dedication, and attention to detail. Although the Craft expresses itself in the words, gestures, and ingredients wizards use to cast their spells, the roots of the Craft lie in complex mathematical and philosophical concepts that are beyond the reach of most ordinary people.
Enhanced Gift. Whenever you use material components with spells you initially developed as a magician, you may add your wizard levels to your total caster level.
Craft Improvement. Your study and training in the Craft have enhanced your natural spellcasting abilities. You may continue to take talents from the generic spellcaster class as long as you meet the prerequisites.
Spellcaster Talent. You may continue to take talents from the spellcaster generic class provided you meet the prerequisites.
Sage Talent Tree
Trivial knowledge. As PHB bardic knowledge. Prerequisites: 12 ranks spread among at least 4 different Knowledge skills (minimum 2 ranks per skill).
Sagely knowledge. You gain Skill Focus (Knowledge) in all knowledges you have ranks in. Prerequisite: 30 ranks distributed across at least 5 knowledges (minimum 4 ranks in each Knowledge), Skill Focus (any Knowledge skill).
Research. Given time and access to the right collection of scrolls, maps, and books, you can eventually come to learn something about anything. Provided you have the proper resources, you gain a +1 bonus to Knowledge checks for every full day spent in research (maximum +10). Prerequisites: Decipher Script 4+ ranks, Search 4+ ranks.
Improved Research. The bonus for using the Research talent increases to +2 for every full day spent in research (maximum +20). Prerequisites: Research.
Advanced Research. As Research, but the bonus is conferred for every hour spent researching. This talent does not apply to Improved Research. Prerequisites: Improved Research.
Specialist Talent Tree
Prerequisites: You must choose a school or domain in which to specialize, followed by a rival school or domain. The rival school or domain cannot be one based in the gift that already opposes your own. You may still cast spells from your rival school or domain, but you must roll against the chance of arcane spell failure to do so. The likelihood of arcane spell failure depends upon the level of the rival school or domain spell being cast. It starts at 50% for 0th level spells and goes up by 5% for each spell level, up to a 95% arcane spell failure chance for 9th-level spells.
Metamagic specialization. You may apply metamagic feats to all spells in your specialty school or domain. Prerequisites: Spell Focus (school or domain), one metamagic feat in at least 4 spells (only one for each level) in the school or domain.
Bonus spells per day. With your chosen specialty school or domain, you gain an additional spell per day for each spell level.
Increased caster level. With your chosen specialty school or domain, you add your Intelligence or Charisma bonus to your effective caster level.
